Join us at EBB for a special evening with Dutch-Surinamese writer Raoul de Jong, presenting his book *Jaguarman*, newly published in English by HopeRoad. The author will be in conversation with Dr. Edson Burton.

In *Jaguarman*, Raoul de Jong plunges into the hidden history of Suriname, his father’s homeland—a place whose past is as dense and untamed as the Amazon rainforest that covers it. He follows the legend of one of his ancestors—an enslaved African who could transform into a jaguar—and enters a world most people, including the Dutch themselves, know almost nothing about. Once rumored to hide the mythical city of El Dorado, Suriname was seized by Spaniards, colonized by the French, taken by the British, and traded to the Dutch for the city that would become New York.

“Written two years before the Netherlands’ “apology” at the end of 2022 for having practiced slavery for two hundred fifty years, *Jaguar Man* paints, at last, from life, the portrait of a worldly country” —Le Monde

"A unique mix of non-fiction and fiction, classic quest, travel story, life lesson, prayer and fairy tale, literature and historiography” — NRC Handesblad

“(Raoul de Jong) is both narrator and character, a charming and funny guide as he goes deeper into the forest and climbs, with signs and clues, the branches of his family tree” — Libération

BIOS

Raoul de Jong (1984) has published eight books and written columns for multiple newspapers. *Jaguarman*, which came out in Dutch in 2020, was nominated for the Libris Literature Prize, the European Union Prize for Literature, the Boekenbon Literature Prize, the Boon and the E. du Perron Prize. In 2022, he received the Anna Blaman Prize for his entire oeuvre. In 2023, Raoul wrote the Dutch National Bookweek Essay *Boto Banja*, which entered the bestseller lists at number 1. His work is translated in German, French and English.

Dr Edson Burton is a multidisciplinary creative and scholar whose work spans prize-winning drama and poetry, groundbreaking historical research, dynamic event hosting, and transformative community workshops. His publications include *Art and Activism. Vol 1: A Portrait* (Bristol Books, 2023), *Vice & Virtue: Discovering the story of Old Market, Bristol* (Bristol Books, 2015) with Michael Manson, and *Seasoned* (City Chameleon, 2009), a collection of poetry.

Entry requirements: no age restrictions (under 18s to be accompanied by an adult over 21yrs, 1:1 ratio) — Read more — Read less